Wire drawing capstan



Oct. 27, 1931. w. E. CARROLL 1,323,922

WIRE DRAWING CAPSTAYN Filed July 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nu unuu In u'ent OR \Uiu'wm 6,. C arm By WM/ fittoRneg I Oct. 27, 1931. w. CARROLL 1,828,922

WIRE DRAWING CAPSTAN Filed July 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 uuuuflflilmi 19 1a 17 "Ba I nae nto/a \U'iumxm Elf/cu vou B9 1 AttoRneq Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM E. CARROLL, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR TO MORGAN CON- STRUCTION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF WIRE DRAWING CAPSTAN Application filed July 13, 1929.

' larly as regards its ability to stand up under twisting, if subjected in the drawing operation to excessive heat. I have discovered that this impairment comes, not from the fact that the wire may have, for a relatively short time, an excessively high temperature, generated therein by its passage through a restricted die hole,but rather from the fact that in certain kinds of wire drawing operations,rwhere the drawn wire accumulates on the block or drum in a considerable mass of overlying layers or convolutions, there is little or no chance for the heat to be radiated from the wire; in consequence of this, the accumulated mass 'of wire is' subjected on the block or drum to a detrimental soaking or prolonged retention of heat.

It has been proposed heretofore to cool the capstan portion of a wire drawing block or drum by air or water introduced to its interior, but this expedient affords little, if any,

relief for the conditions above set forth, because this cooling has no appreciable effect in getting rid of the heat contained within the mass of convolutions that are pushed up progressively during the drawing Operation onto the extension posts, or the like, above the drum. According to my invention, provision ismade for air-cooling the interior of the capstan portion of a wire drawin block or drum, and the discharge of cooling air from said capstan portion is so arranged that the ever-growing mass. of wire accumulating above on the extension posts of the Serial No. 377,958.

block or drum is maintained at a sufficiently low temperature so that the wire suffers no detrimental effects, due to its prolonged retention in mass or bunched formation on said drum. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent in the following detailed description thereof, reference being had in this connection to the accompanying drawings, in which- I Fig. 1 is a top plan view illustrating the application of the invention to a plurality of wire drawing blocks or drums.

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation paratus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a larger scale side view, partly in section, showing one construction for a Wire drawing block embodying the invention.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified construction.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown, by way of example, a wire drawing bench l whereon are mounted, in the usual of the apof wire drawing blocks or drums 3, 3, the

rotation of each of which, in the usual manner, procures the elongation of the wire by pulling it through the associated die 2,said wire being drawn progressively onto the capstan or base portion ji of each drum 3, and the accumulating convolutions thereof moving upwardly in the usual way, to surround the annular series of posts 4, 4 which rise from said capstan. Each such capstan, designated at 5 in Fig. 3, and at 5 in Fig. 4, is so mounted as to be capable of partaking in the usual manner, when desired, of the rotation of a vertical shaft or spmdle 6, suitably j ournalled in the stationary bench 1. To this end, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the spindle 6 may have keyed thereto a plate 7 providing a clutch surface in opposition, as

shown at 8, to a corresponding surface on the bottom of the block. Ihe latter, through the medium of a vertically movable yoke, or the like, carrying a plurality of rollers 9, 9 (only one being shown) can be raised, to disengage the clutch, for the termination of the drawing operation, or can be lowered, to engage the clutch, as desired, to start the drawing operation.

Referrin now to Fig. 3, the rotary hollow capstan 5 therein shown comprises a bottom 10, a top 11, and a cylindrical side wall 12, the latter being connected to the bottom 10 by a plurality of suitable ribs 13, 13 which bridge an annular space or opening 14 of said bottom, inwardly of the base flange 15 and depending skirt 16 of said side wall. In place of the usual stationary guard ring, surrounding the skirt l6 and preventing the wirefrom getting beneath the block, I provide a hollow substantially annular member 17, stationarily mounted on the bench 1 concentrically with the capstan, and opening upwardly to the space 14, with its inner wall making a running joint, as shown at 18, with a flange 19 of base 10. Its outer wall provides an annular recess 20, to receive the skirt 16, the latter making therewith a running joint, as shown at 21. Each stationary hollow member 17, serving as a guard ring, with its interior thus connected to the substantially closed interior chamber of the rotary capstan 5, is in communication also, through a tubular extension 22, with a duct or main 23, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

In the wire drawing block of Fig. 4, of slightly different construction, the top plate 11 is omitted, and the stationary hollow annular guard ring member 17, below the block, communicates in this case, not with the entire interior of the block, but with a substantially closed interior annular chamber 24 thereof, formed between the outer wall 12 and a concentric innerwall 25, providing connecting ribs 26, 26 which bridge-the open lower end 27 of said chamber. Otherwise the construction, and the mode of connection to the member 17, is substantially the same as shown in Fi 3.

i iccording to the invention, the duct or main 23, common to the stationary hollow guard rings 17, 17 of all the drawing blocks on the bench 2, to a source 28 of pressure or vacuum as em bodied, for example, either in an air blower or in an air exhauster. As a result, assuming that a blower is used, a relatively large volume of cooling air is supplied to the interior of each drawing block, during the operation thereof, by its associated stationary hollow ring 17, and this air has a freeescape from the block, according to my invention, through numerous openlngs to the atmosphere, so that a constant circulation of the 1, is connected, as shown in Fig.

masses cooling medium is maintained. As shown, the air thus blown in is free to escape, in a generally upward direction, through a multiplicity of openings 29 provided by the base flange 15 of each block, for direct impingement, exteriorly, on the convolutions of wire that are drawn onto the capstan portion 5 or 5, as the case may be. Furthermore, the outer wall 12 of each capstan provides a large number of relatively narrow closely arranged and vertically elongated openings 30, 30, from which the air escapes radially to cool each convolution of wire while it is on the capstan, and before it is pushed up to join the mass of convolutions on the posts 4, 4 of the block. As each convolution, so partially cooled on the capstan, is forced u 3 above said capstan to join the mass of convo utions accumulated on the posts 4, 4 of the block, it is further cooledby the air discharging through a series of upwardlydirected openings 31, 31, so that by the time said covolution becomes merged in the bundle or mass, its temperature is very measurably lowered; the air from the openings 31, 31 impinges directly on the bundle or mass of wire, and thus keeps the temperature of said bundle or mass from rising.

The free circulation thus provided for the gaseous cooling medium, supplied in relatively large volume, is effective not only to cool the wire by direct contact, but also to cool the block by preventin any appreciable accumulation or storage 0% heat within the capstan portion 5 or 5, as the case may be. Substantially the same cooling action, both as regards removal of heat from the capstan interior and direct impingement of the cooling medium on the individual convolutions of wire, is obtained when the source 28 is operated as an exhauster, rather than as a blower,the cool air being drawn into the block through the openings 29, 29, 30, 30 and 31, 31, and removed therefrom by way of the stationary ring 17 and the pipe or main 23. In either case, regardless of the direction of the circulation, the heat is rapidly and continuously removed and dissipated to the atmosphere; as a result, the interior space of the capstan is kept at a moderate temperature, and the consumption of lubricant therefore is much less than in the ordinary wire drawing block.

I have discovered furthermore that the continuous cooling action above described is measurably promoted and improved by the circulation of air which is moisture-laden, instead of being in the normal relatively dry condition. To obtain this result, with the source of circulation 28 operating as a blower, I provide any suitable form of humidifier 32 in the inlet to the pipe or main 23, said humidifier being connected to any suitable water supply 33, whereby the air which is supplied to the stationary hollow rings 17 ing the ase of said 17 is humidified to the desired degree of saturation.

The gaseous cooling medium, such as air, which my invention employs, is permitted to circulate so freely and in such large volume that the heat, both OI" the block and of the wire, is very rapidly carried oil; in consequence of this, the product, from the standpoint of its quality, strength, and twist capacity, is very greatly improved, notwithstanding the fact that its drawing may take place at a considerably higher speed than that which is the limit with drawing operations on the ordinary type of block. The gaseous cooling medium offers no problems whatsoever for its control or disposal, and it is not even necessary that the running joints 18 and 21 between each block interior and the stationary hollow ring 17 be tight, since the cooling medium, wherever it may escape, is capable of conducting away some of the heat from the interior of the capstan, and from the individual as well as from the massed convolutions of wire.

I claim:

1. In a wire drawing block, a hollow rotary capstan portion, a storage portion concentric with and overlying said capstan portion, to receive and accumulate in mass for mation the convolutions of wire pushed up from the capstan portion by succeeding convolutions drawn thereon, and means for air cooling the interior of said capstan portion, the latter having a circular series of upwardly-opening apertures adjacent to and substantially surrounding the base of-said storage portion, for the impingement of said cooling air against the individual convolutions of wire as they move off said capstan portion onto said storage portion.

2. In a wire drawing block, a hollow rotary capstan portion, a storage portion concentric with and overlying said capstan portion, to receive and accumulate in mass formation the convolutions of wire pushed up from the capstan portion by succeeding convolutions drawn thereon, and means for air cooling the interior of said capstan portion, the latter having laterally-opening apertures to direct said cooling air against the convolutions of wire thereon, and also having a circular series of upwardly-opening apertures ad'acent to and substantially surroundimpingement of said cooling air a ainst the individual convolutions of wire as t ey move off said capstan portion onto said storage portion.

3. In a wire drawing block, a hollow rotary capstan portion, a storage portion concentric with and overlying said capstan portion, to receive and accumulate in mass formation the convolutions of drawn wire pushed up from said capstan portion, a base flange on said capstan portion, an annular storage portion, for the WILLIAM E. CARROLLI 

